Battery grid and method of making the same



June 29 ,1926. y 1,590,962

L. G. STECKER BATTERY GRID AMD METHOD oF MAKING THE sAME Filed Dec. 13,1923 UME-11S:

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Patented June 29, 192.6.

UNITED -sTATEs LOUIS G. STECKER', -OF'PHILADELPHIL PENNSYLVANIA.

urrnar'enm No METHOD or MAKING THE SAME.-

Applic'ation llled December 13, 1923. Serial No. 680,290.

VMy invention relates to a novel construction of a battery grid forsecond ary4 or storage batteries and more particularly for the type ofstorage batteries which are employed on motor vehicles and `apt to besubjected to excessive vibrations. Y

My invention comprehends apnovel construction of a battery grid in whichprovision is made for most efectivel retaining the active material inplace, an also comprehends a method for making the grid.

Other features of construction of the rid are hereinafter described-inthe speci cation and particularly set forth in the claims. A For thepurpose of -illustratingsmy invention, I have shown in the accompanyingdrawings a certain type and embodiment of it which is at presentpreferred by me, because in pract1ce it will give satisfactor andreliable results. It is to be understoo however, that the variousinstrumentalities in which my inventionl is-shown as embodied can bevariously arranged and organized and that my invention is not,therefore, limited to the precise arrangement and organization of theseinstrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a side view of a grid embodyinga good form of myinvention in the first stage of its manufacture.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section on the line 2-2 of the grid ofFigure 1.

-Figure 3 represents a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of the grid ofFigure l.

Figure 4 represents a side view of the grid illustrated in Figures 1,2,and 3 in the second stage of its manufacture.

Figure 5 represents a vertical section on the line 5 5 of the grid ofFigure'4.

Figure 6 represents a horizontal section on the line 6 6 of the grid ofFigure 4.

Figure 7 represents an elevation of a fragmentary portion of the gridillustrated in Figure 4 after the active material has been introduced inthe last stage of its manufacture. I Similar numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the' metal piate or frame of theusual form and from which extends the usual binding Dose z.

In the grid of the first three gures there are enclosed formed withinthe frame and pr feraeiy paraileling each other and the oi tile frame, agroup or series of 's primaryrlbs 3, spaced apart at referred distancesfrom each other, and servln to re' tain between them in their castrelationship other groups of secondary ribs 4 which likewise preferablyparallel each other and the upper andlower members of the frame and arepreferably. but not necessarily rightan lar to said primary ribs.

l of the prlmary ribs 3' and all of the secondary ribs 4 are cast ordie-stamped as a grid-entirety, first in the general formation of Figure1, and the primary ribs are preferabiy but not necessarilydiamond-shaped in cross-section, as best shown in Fi re 2, while thesecondary ribs, preferably 1n close but alternate or staggeredrelationship and disposition, are preferably but not necessarilytriangular in Vcross-section, with the bases of the triangles all, .Ialternately, facing inward to the vcentral plane of the frame, and theapices of the triangles alternately facing outward to the level of thelmagmary outside planecf each face of the frame, with the result thatflat o en or sunken spaces 5, which are adapte to be filled with activematerial 6 to the levels.

of both of the outside planes of the frame, exlst between the secondaryribs and the primary ribs. 1

Obviously, in the foregoing construction,

were the active material to be filled into the open spaces among theribs, it would have a tendency, should the grid as a whole warp, to fallout.

To prevent this happening and securely to retain the active material inthe open spaces, I preferably bend each row of ali of the groups of thesecondary ribs, oppositely and row by row, so that the formationimparted to said secondary ribs is the formation best illustrated inFigure 6, and, as will bey obvious, in so doing I form instead of flatopen spaces as in Figures 1, 2,' and 3, op-.

positely bent open spaces which form curved f chambers 7, so to speak,see Figures 4, 5, and 6.

When the active material has been introduced, it will fill the curvedchambers and become locked within and among all of the ribs both primaryand secondary.

Before describing the method of makin my grid as a Whole, I should saythat in e fecting the bending of the triangular secondary ribs I exertthe pressure of the dies or punchingdevices against the apex sides ofsaid secondary ribs, so that the basal sides,

which are the insides of each bent, curved or looped secondary rib, isforced outward into the outside plane of the frame while the apex sideis forced inward into the area of the central plane ofthe frame.

The method of making my battery grid to which I preferto resort, is tomake an original casting of the character, for instance, of the grid ofthe first three figures, which I do either by molding or die-casting,preferably casting the grids in pairs, the binding posts of the two'grids being in alignment.

-I then, by stamping or. punching devices operatin simultaneously uponboth sides of the grld formed as in Figure 1, strike the secondary ribsinto alternate and opposite ycurves so that the grid assumes the finalform represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6.

The grids are cast in pairs, after they have been cast it is necessaryto cut oli' the ate, and as the grids are soft when taken rom the moldit is necessary to straighten them, which is best done by the use of apunch-press having a double acting die, and a shearing knife, the dieflattening the grid and holding it fast while the knife shears off thegate and vents.

Otherwise to`express it, I turn the bars inside out, flatten the gridframe, and cut off the gate and vents in one operation, which, withoutaddin to the expense, results in the making o a better grid.

The bending of the secondary ribs into the curved formation described,results in the formation of what I have called the curved chambers 7which prevent the active material when once introduced or wedged in,from falling out.

The foregoing advantage is also resultant of the fact that the secondaryribs are in practice preferably not of the full depth of the frame, butonly about half as deep.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct alternategrids of ribs deflected in opposite directions away from the frame, butin such construction the ribs do not lie within the outside planes ofthe frame vand the construction as an entirety is weakened rather thanstrengthened as in my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I .claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. 'A grid comprising spaced primary ribs and spaced secondary ribsangularly disposed in respect to said primary ribs, successive adjacentsecondary ribs being bent in opposite directions transversely of thegrid; each bend extending between adjacent I primary ribs.

2. A grid comprising spaced primary and spaced secondary ribs angularlydisposed with respect to said primary ribs, successive adjacentsecondary ribs being on alternate sides of the median plane of the grid,and being bent in opposite directions transversely of the grid; eachbend extending between adjacent primary ribs.

3. A grid shaped primary ribs and spaced triangularshaped secondary ribsangularly disposed with respect to said primary ribs, successiveadjacent secondary ribs being bent in opposite directions transverselyof the grid; each bend extending between adjacent primary ribs. p Y

4. A grid comprising spaced diamondshaped primary ribs and spacedtriangularshapedl secondary ribs angularly disposed with respect to saidprimary ribs, successive adjacent secondary ribs being on alternatesides of the median plane of the. grid, and being bent in oppositedirections transversely of the grid; each bend extending betweenadjacent primary ribs.

LOUIS G. STECKER.

comprising spaced diamond-

